Page 69 of Heart of Gold
Her phone buzzes between us on the bed, and I see a picture of her and Collins fill the screen. It’s an old picture but they look happy. It makes me wonder why she hasn’t deleted it. I allow the call to go to voicemail, and he sends a text almost immediately after.
Grayson
You know he fucked that girl all summer, right? What makes you think you are any different? He’ll play you just like he did her.
I feel rage bubbling up inside me like goddamn lava. Who the fuck does he think he is? I contemplate trying to open her phone, and calling that asshole back but I don’t want to invade her privacy. At least no more than what I’ve already invaded unintentionally.
A couple seconds later it rings again, and Quinn groans next to me.
“Who is that?”
I pass her the phone and she stares at it then looks at me, like she is silently asking for permission to answer it. Well not permission, but she wants to know if I’m okay with it.
“Get it if you want to.”
She groans, “I don’t want to, but he won’t stop until I do.”
That pisses me off even more. The fact that she can’t get away from him, even if she wants to, infuriates me.
She answers the phone but never puts it up to her ear, opting for speakerphone.
“What is it, Grayson? I’m busy.”
He scoffs, “Doing what? It’s 12:30.”
“I’m sleeping,” She sighs. “What do you want?”
“Did you get my text?”
I feel a burning desire to yank this mother fucker through the phone and punch him right in his jaw, but I don’t speak. Even though I know what text he’s referring to.
“No,” She says. “I told you I’m sleeping.”
“Where are you then?” He demands, “Your car isn’t at the dorms.”
What the fuck. This is ridiculous. Has he always treated her this way?
“It’s none of your business, Grayson.”
“You’re with him aren’t you?” He booms. “What the fuck is going on, Quinn?”
I don’t like his tone and against my better judgment I speak up. “She said it’s none of your business.”
Her eyes are wide, and I tell her I’m sorry with mine. He laughs manically into the receiver. “Babe, this is enough. We both know exactly where you belong. It’s not with some low life idiot from North Carolina relying on scholarship money.”
Quinn’s expression turns to anger. “Yeah because a cheater from Florida with a trust fund worked real well for me last time, huh?”
“For the last time I didn’t cheat on you!” He yells into the phone.
She doesn’t skip a beat, just keeps going, “You are lying to me, Gray. You lied to me about what happened to my mom. You protected Rae and chose tolieto me. You weren’t as good at hiding it as you think you were. I saw the messages.”
“You are delusional! The messages you saw on my phone that night didn’t prove anything other than the fact I was at Rae’s house.”
She smirks, and let me tell you right now, it’s fucking adorable. “I’m not talking about the messages onyourphone.”
The line goes eerily silent, and finally Collins speaks. “What are you talking about?”
She sighs. “I know you slept with her. I know it for a fact, and you know what’s even worse? Six months ago, I wanted to forgive you for it! Ilovedyou, Grayson. I loved you more than I should have. You chose her and I can’t help she didn’t choose you back. You were my first love but I was never your first choice.”
